What bands are you listening to today?

That Paradise Lost album ended up disappointing me, it is too normed to be compelling, but I still love the song I linked and like other bits on the album. The bonus tracks, overdubbed instruments on two songs from the previous album, are horrible. Instead I have been listening to Screams of Anguish by Brutality. Some of it is fairly solid, the rest just trudges along faithfully enough but fails to be great. The lead guitarist is something else though. I especially like him on the first track, one of the strongest on the album.

That ND album is awfully boring. I have never been a fan of ND but I never tried any of their more death metal material, which is what I would consider Harmony to be. Still, nothing great. Boring vocals, boring guitar patterns, boring drumming, so-so soloing.

The MA album was pretty great, I thought. I had heard GtA ripped apart by some reviews before but I didn't hear the decline in quality from prior albums, that the reviews claimed was present. I'm not very familiar with MA's albums, but I have Altars, Blessed, and Formulas, all of which I think are very high quality among all death metal, new and classic. Could be I am easily impressed by "guitar fireworks" and am a sucker for about anything Trey plays.

That ND album is awfully boring. I have never been a fan of ND but I never tried any of their more death metal material, which is what I would consider Harmony to be. Still, nothing great. Boring vocals, boring guitar patterns, boring drumming, so-so soloing.

The MA album was pretty great, I thought. I had heard GtA ripped apart by some reviews before but I didn't hear the decline in quality from prior albums, that the reviews claimed was present. I'm not very familiar with MA's albums, but I have Altars, Blessed, and Formulas, all of which I think are very high quality among all death metal, new and classic. Could be I am easily impressed by "guitar fireworks" and am a sucker for about anything Trey plays.

Listen to Gateways a few more times. The fireworks won't have an effect and it will be a chore to listen to.

That ND album is awfully boring. I have never been a fan of ND but I never tried any of their more death metal material, which is what I would consider Harmony to be. Still, nothing great. Boring vocals, boring guitar patterns, boring drumming, so-so soloing.

I wonder why. It's their first album after their true grindcore years (FETO = 1988; HC = 1990). As many have noted, they made a transition to a more death metal influenced style. It's almost as if in an effort to make the stylistic transition they over-emphasized the metallic elements and lost their own music in the process. Where have we seen this before? Amebix Monolith comes to mind, or Broken Bones (ex-Discharge). Maybe even the second Cro-Mags album.

You're right, this album is a complete bore. Try Utopia Banished instead. It's a lot more exciting.

Nah Harmony Corruption is pretty solid. The way it melds hardcore riffing with more tremolo heavy death metal type riffing is a feast for the ears. It's basically punks trying death metal. Utopia Banished is a great record too though; I would say it's Napalm Death's last really good album. Everything after that was either just dull or too indie rock influenced. If you've never been a fan of Napalm Death though Harmony Corruption is a bad place to start.

Broken Bones is pretty awesome, I'd recommend Dem Bones, I.O.U.....Nothing and Bonecrusher. These releases are better than anything Discharge did post-1983. The Complete Singles collection is a good overview of the band for those getting into them for the first time. Part of the reason I enjoy these so much is Bones' characteristic guitar riffing; he's got his own style which is rare for a punk related guitarist.

As for what I've been listening to - lately it's been a lot of Suffocation, Wormed, Cryptopsy, old Kataklysm and similar sounds. It's been quite a death metal month, particularly of the more percussive kind.

Gonna agree with tyrstero on Brutality - good record, particularly good lead guitarist.

I wonder why. It's their first album after their true grindcore years (FETO = 1988; HC = 1990). As many have noted, they made a transition to a more death metal influenced style. It's almost as if in an effort to make the stylistic transition they over-emphasized the metallic elements and lost their own music in the process. Where have we seen this before? Amebix Monolith comes to mind, or Broken Bones (ex-Discharge). Maybe even the second Cro-Mags album.

Crossover https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zS6jtOihTCg.Suicidal Tendencies, Crumbsuckers, Cryptic Slaughter, seemed every 'hc' band was trying to put more meat on their bones by then, but most ended up piles of meat minus a backbone.

Today I listened to the first two Sanctuary albums. Warrel Dane is a very strong vocalist though he can sometimes sound a little cheesy. This is very good power metal, some of the best I have heard.

I agree with the sentiment about Mr. Dane. When I was exploring Nevermore a few years back, I found almost every element of that band inconsistent, except his vocals. He knows how to project without sounding forced, though yes he can be cheesy. A shame his talents aren't utilized better in a better project.

Anyway, I listened to Slaughter's "Strappado" on the way to and from work today. Such a burst of energy, the whole album.

Love that album. The feel of it is so awesome, like preachy hardcore inverted into evil. It is like a horror movie where hipsters die. When they say `the government`s a demon` they are not making a political point or allegory or anything, the government is literally a demon!

In the bible we looked while our cities all cooked!Mutants didnt learn, towards Satan they turnedThe wind ripped and tore with the wrath of the Incerator!